,,iii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #dcc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #a1 #bjad ,ms4 ,landrieu 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,boxer1 ,mr4 ,inhofe1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,coons1 and ,mr4 ,menendez7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the ,government ,girls ,secondary ,school in the northeastern province of ,borno in the ,federal ,republic of ,nigeria4 ,whereas1 on the night of ,april #ad1 #bjad1 as many as #bcd female students1 most of them between #af and #ah years old1 were abducted by armed militants from the ,government ,girls ,secondary ,school1 a boarding school located in the northeastern province of ,borno in the ,federal ,republic of ,nigeria2 ,whereas the militants burned down several buildings before opening fire on soldiers and police who were guarding the school and forcing the students into trucks2 ,whereas1 according to local officials in ,borno state1 about #dc students were able to flee their captors1 and the rest remain missing2 ,whereas all public secondary schools in ,borno state were closed in ,march #bjad because of increasing attacks in the past year that have killed hundreds of students1 but the young women at the ,government ,girls ,secondary ,school were recalled to take their final exams2 ,whereas the group popularly known as ,boko ,haram1 which loosely translates from the ,hausa language to ,western education is sin1 is known to oppose the education of girls1 has kidnapped girls in the past to use as cooks and sex slaves1 and is thought to be responsible for the ,april #adth kidnapping in ,borno state2 ,whereas there are reports that the abducted girls have been sold as brides to ,islamist militants for the equivalent of #ab each2 ,whereas ,boko ,haram has targeted schools1 mosques1 churches1 villages1 and agricultural centers1 as well as government facilities1 in an armed campaign to create an ,islamic state in northern ,nigeria1 prompting the president of ,nigeria to declare a state of emergency in three of the country's northeastern states in ,may #bjac2 ,whereas1 according to the ,brookings ,institution1 ,boko ,haram burned down or destroyed #ej schools and killed approximately #cj teachers in ,nigeria in #bjac1 leaving tens of thousands of children unable to attend school2 ,whereas1 on ,april #ad1 #bjad1 hours before the kidnapping in ,borno state1 ,boko ,haram bombed a bus station in ,abuja1 ,nigeria1 killing at least #ge people and wounding over #ajj1 making it the deadliest attack ever in ,nigeria's capital2 ,whereas ,amnesty ,international estimates that more than #a1ejj people have been killed in attacks by ,boko ,haram or reprisals by ,nigerian security forces this year alone1 and the ,council on ,foreign ,relations estimates that almost #d1jjj people have been killed in ,boko ,haram attacks since #bjaa2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state designated ,boko ,haram as a ,foreign ,terrorist ,organization in ,november #bjac1 recognizing the threat posed by the group's large-scale and indiscriminate attacks against women and children2 ,whereas1 according to the ,united ,nations1 girls' education is a major challenge in ,nigeria2 ,whereas1 according to the ,united ,nations ,children's ,emergency ,fund 7,,unicef71 some #d1gjj1jjj children of primary school age are still not in school in ,nigeria1 with attendance rates lowest in the north2 ,whereas a study conducted by the ,united ,nations ,educational1 ,scientific and ,cultural ,organization 7,,unesco7 found that school children in ,nigeria1 particularly those in the northern provinces1 are at a disadvantage in their education1 with #cg percent of primary-age girls in the rural northeast not attending school1 and #cj percent of boys not attending school2 ,whereas1 according to the ,world ,economic ,forum's ,global ,gender ,gap ,index1 ,nigeria is ranked #ajf out of #acf countries based on women's economic participation1 educational attainment1 and political empowerment2 ,whereas1 according to the ,united ,nations1 women held only #f4g percent of the seats in ,nigeria's parliament in #bjac2 ,whereas the advancement of women around the world is a foreign policy priority for the ,united ,states2 ,whereas1 according to the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 8,broader1 more equitable access to education encourages political participation1 enhances governance1 strengthens civil society1 and promotes transparency and accountability402 ,whereas a #ajj-;country study by the ,world ,bank shows that increasing the share of women with a secondary education by #a percent boosts annual per capita income growth by #j4c percentage points2 ,whereas1 according to ,,unicef1 adolescent girls that attend school are less likely to be married as children1 are less vulnerable to disease including ,,hiv and ,,aids1 and acquire information and skills that lead to increased earning power4 ,evidence shows that the return to a year of secondary education for girls correlates to a #be percent increase in wages later in life42 ,whereas1 according to the ,world ,bank1 ,the benefits of women's education go beyond higher productivity for #ej percent of the population4 ,more educated women also tend to be healthier1 participate more in the formal labor market1 earn more income1 ''' and provide better health care and education to their children1 all of which eventually improve the well-being of all individuals and lift households out of poverty4 ,these benefits also transmit across generations1 as well as to their communities at large42 and ,whereas women and girls must be allowed to go to school without fear of violence and unjust treatment so that they can take their rightful place as equal citizens of and contributors to the world3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 expresses its strong support for the people of ,nigeria1 especially the parents and families of the girls abducted by ,boko ,haram in ,borno state1 and calls for the immediate1 safe return of the girls2 7#b7 condemns ,boko ,haram for its violent attacks on civilian targets1 including schools1 mosques1 churches1 villages1 and agricultural centers in ,nigeria2 7#c7 encourages the ,government of ,nigeria to strengthen efforts to protect the ability of children to obtain an education and to hold those who conduct such violent attacks accountable2 7#d7 encourages efforts by the ,united ,states ,government to support the capacity of the ,government of ,nigeria to provide security for schools and to hold terrorist organizations1 such as ,boko ,haram1 accountable2 7#e7 urges timely civilian assistance from the ,united ,states and allied ,african nations in rescuing and reintegrating the abducted girls2 7#f7 recognizes that every individual1 regardless of gender1 should have the opportunity to pursue an education without fear of discrimination2 7#g7 reaffirms its commitment to ending discrimination and violence against women and girls1 to ensuring the safety and welfare of women and girls1 and to pursuing policies that guarantee the basic human rights of women and girls worldwide2 7#h7 recognizes that the empowerment of women is inextricably linked to the potential of countries to generate economic growth1 sustainable democracy1 and inclusive security2 and 7#i7 encourages the ,department of ,state1 the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 and the ,department of ,defense to continue their support for initiatives that positively impact the ability of women and girls to fully access their human rights4